** REWRITING ** Tidal Wave

Chapter Two

Age Seven

"You're never gonna catch me!" I yelled with a grin.

"Oh yeah?" Grayson challenged, "Watch me!" I giggled as I ran down the beach, my feet sinking into wet, white sand. As I drew closer to the water, I could see Ethan, Andrew and James coming out of their water with their torn-up boogie boards. They were a end-of-the-school-year present, and as summer came to end, you could tell they had been through a lot.

I passed them as I raced into the waves. Unfortunately, the tide had been coming in at that exact moment and knocked me over, dragging me to shore. I ended up flat on my back with Grayson's face leaning over me.

"Got you," he said with a smirk and put his hand out to help me up.

I should've known better.

The second I was on my feet I was overcome with a avalanche of mud. All the boys laughed as I tried to keep myself from screaming. Growing up around boys, I have learned to hide my girl reactions pretty well. This time... not so much. All it took was one more mud-pie to my back and I screamed as loud as I could. The boys laughed again.

Eventually, we were called in for dinner and everything was forgotten. Until my mother asked why I was covered in a thick layer of silt.

I grinned. "I got in a mud fight!" I thought this was hilarious so I bursted into a fit of giggles.

My father didn't seem to think this was too funny

"Cheryl," my father asked accusingly,"did you let her play with the boys again?"

"Yes," my mother stated simply. She didn't notice the growing tension in kitchen, or she just chose to ignore it.

My father sighed deeply,"We've talked about this before, I don't want her running around with the boys like a bunch of-"

My mother cut him off angrily, "Would you rather have her gardening and laying out with me and Marissa all day?"

This actually sounded very apealing to me. I loved being included in everything my mom and Marissa did. I was the daughter she never had. Marissa adored James, Grayson, and Ethan, but she loved to share me with my mother. Knowing better, I never spoke up about this issue.

My father rolled his eyes. "Of course not. I think she just should be playing with her girlfriends instead. We don't want her to grow up to be a tomboy do we? She will only face more troubles later on."

"James!" my mother scolded and gestured to me still standing in the corner of the room. I had never heard this part of this conversation before. I knew my father didn't want me playing with the boys all the time, but I never knew why.

My father's expression softened. "Ellie, honey?" I looked up into his deep, blue eyes that we reflections of my own. "Would you please go up to your room so your mother and I can have a chat?" I nodded and retreated up the stairs to my bedroom.

I pressed my ear to my door, trying to hear whatever I could.

"She can be who ever she wants to be." My mothers voice.

"Yes, but not with those boys!" My father answered.

The yelling turned into hushed wisphers. But then...

"Why her?" My mother yelled, "Why not Andrew?"

"You know why!" My father screamed back.

The door slammed. I could feel it from my room.. My mother began to cry, softly at first but then harder. I tiptoed down the stairs.

My father was gone and my mother was laying in a heap on the ground.

"I don't, I don't," she repeated over and over again with her head in her hands. She was done trying to dry her tears. When she never noticed me, I slipped back upstairs to my room and watched out my window until I saw my father's car pull back into our driveway. It was after two am.

Then I climbed into bed and fell asleep.

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I was just wondeirng if you guys like this type of thing...? Comment if you have an opinion! Don't forget to vote :)